David Paterson, the New York politician catapulted into the state governor’s chair in the wake of a sex scandal earlier this year, faces one of the most unenviable tasks of the presidential transition – navigating perilous dynastic politics to find a replacement for Senator Hillary Clinton.

With Mrs Clinton heading for the State Department in Barack Obama’s administration, Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the assassinated President John F.  Kennedy, this week ended speculation by saying she wanted to be junior senator for New York.